Reproduction | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/reproduction/RSS feed for ReproductionenFri, 14 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000Here's Why These Male Spiders Sacrifice Themselves by Somersaulting Into Females' Fangs While Matinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-why-these-male-spiders-sacrifice-themselves-by-somersaulting-into-females-fangs-while-mating-180989337/A new study suggest that even strange, complex animal behaviors can have a relatively simple genetic basisFri, 14 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-why-these-male-spiders-sacrifice-themselves-by-somersaulting-into-females-fangs-while-mating-180989337/A Premature Baby Giraffe Born Via C-Section Is Fighting for Her Life at a Zoo in Kansashttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-premature-baby-giraffe-born-via-c-section-is-fighting-for-her-life-at-a-zoo-in-kansas-180989214/According to officials with the Tanganyika Wildlife Park, no known giraffe calf has ever survived the procedure. The youngster, who was recently named Milani, was born on July 11, likely three to seven weeks earlyWed, 29 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-premature-baby-giraffe-born-via-c-section-is-fighting-for-her-life-at-a-zoo-in-kansas-180989214/Why Are These Whales Floating Upside-Down? They Might Just Be Moms Who Need a Break From Feeding Their Babieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-these-whales-floating-upside-down-they-might-just-be-moms-who-need-a-break-from-feeding-their-babies-180989184/Each year, southern right whales migrate thousands of miles from their feeding grounds to breed, give birth and raise their young. Taking rests and regulating their calves' nursing schedules might help mothers conserve energy while they're far from foodFri, 24 Jul 2026 13:39:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-these-whales-floating-upside-down-they-might-just-be-moms-who-need-a-break-from-feeding-their-babies-180989184/Double Puggles: See the Adorable 'Twin' Echidnas Born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Parkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/double-puggles-see-the-adorable-twin-echidnas-born-at-the-san-diego-zoo-safari-park-180989165/The two babies hatched this year to one mother during the same breeding season—an extremely rare occurrence, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceWed, 22 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/double-puggles-see-the-adorable-twin-echidnas-born-at-the-san-diego-zoo-safari-park-180989165/Koalas Are at Risk of Extinction in Some Parts of Australia. Can Freezing Their Sperm and Eggs Help Save the Iconic Marsupials?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/koalas-are-at-risk-of-extinction-in-some-parts-of-australia-can-freezing-their-sperm-and-eggs-help-save-the-iconic-marsupials-180989147/Scientists are preserving the animals' reproductive cells in liquid nitrogen in a bid to boost genetic diversity in future populationsMon, 20 Jul 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/koalas-are-at-risk-of-extinction-in-some-parts-of-australia-can-freezing-their-sperm-and-eggs-help-save-the-iconic-marsupials-180989147/Early Flowering Plants May Have Relied on Dinosaurs to Eat Their Fleshy Fruits and Spread Their Seedshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-flowering-plants-may-have-relied-on-dinosaurs-to-eat-their-fleshy-fruits-and-spread-their-seeds-180989076/According to fossils preserved by volcanic ash, the plants, known as angiosperms, began producing relatively large, blueberry-size fruits millions of years earlier than previously thoughtMon, 06 Jul 2026 19:12:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-flowering-plants-may-have-relied-on-dinosaurs-to-eat-their-fleshy-fruits-and-spread-their-seeds-180989076/These Male Fruit Flies Have Sperm That Are Nearly as Long as Their Bodies. Here's How the Cells Don't Become a Tangled Messhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-male-fruit-flies-have-sperm-that-are-nearly-as-long-as-their-bodies-heres-how-the-cells-dont-become-a-tangled-mess-180989054/Males of the species Drosophila melanogaster pack thousands of almost two-millimeter-long sperm cells into significantly smaller storage organs. A new study reveals how they move in an orderly mannerWed, 01 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-male-fruit-flies-have-sperm-that-are-nearly-as-long-as-their-bodies-heres-how-the-cells-dont-become-a-tangled-mess-180989054/Female Dolphins Seem to Remember Which Males Were Aggressive During Mating Season—and May Try to Avoid Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-dolphins-seem-to-remember-which-males-were-aggressive-during-mating-season-and-may-try-to-avoid-them-180988994/When researchers played underwater recordings of pushy males, females that were capable of becoming pregnant swam away from the soundsTue, 23 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-dolphins-seem-to-remember-which-males-were-aggressive-during-mating-season-and-may-try-to-avoid-them-180988994/